Saturday, August 6, 2016

GM's Cadillac XT5 Makes Any Road Trip Luxurious!

For my August long weekend road trip along the south coast
of Nova Scotia I test drove the 2017 Cadillac XT5 Luxury AWD SUV. If you’re
going on a ‘Canadian’ road trip, why not drive a vehicle made by a domestic
automaker-right?

What a beautiful vehicle! A quick one-over and you know this
is an SUV built for comfort and luxury. Keyless entry, push-button start, tilt
full panoramic sunroof with a power shade, rear reclining seats, power
liftgate, rear cargo shade, black trim leather with white stitching on the
upper half of the dash and door panels, combined with cream leather and white
stitching on the bottom half and seats. Absolutely stunning interior!

When you hit the gas pedal you have plenty of power with
this V6 8-speed automatic transmission. No hesitation at any point, and quick
pick-up for passing vehicles on the highway or along short one-lane passing stretches
in the country. Be prepared for lots of looks and conversations with locals about
this SUV, it’s a show stopper!

By no means is the XT5 a tiny vehicle, but it’s not a tank
either. I drove plenty, and long distance for five days and still had just
under half a tank of gas left before dropping it at the airport. The posted
fuel economy is 11.1 L/100km combined. I was pleasantly surprised with how good
it was on gas. And, if you do need to fill up, even though it has a luxurious
look and feel, it still takes regular fuel.

One of the first things I noticed about this vehicle, or I
should say felt, was a vibration from my seat when a vehicle approached from
behind. It’s quite startling, almost electrifying! It also vibrates when a
vehicle is near in front. A great feature for long drives when you may not be
as alert. Other safety features include side blind zone alert, lane departure
warning, and a rear vision camera.

So how much for this luxurious, safe ride? Fully equipped it’ll
set you back about $58,500. It’s worth every penny, if you ask me!

My only complaint… the drive stick. For one, I prefer the
new modern dial, second – it’s really tricky to maneuver, you need to push the
button on the left and move it around to put it into drive or reverse. To get
into park you just press the ‘p’ button on top. You get used to it, but it’s
still a bit awkward.

So, if you’re looking for a great road trip vehicle that is
good on gas, fast, luxurious, safe, lots of storage room and fits five adults
comfortably, the 2017 Cadillac XT5 is a winner!